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קִרְיָא

𐤒𐤓𐤉𐤀

qiryâʼ

H7149 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Aramaic term for a city, town, or urban settlement; generally refers to an inhabited place with established civic, administrative, or structural characteristics, as opposed to a rural village or settlement. In Biblical Aramaic, used predominantly to denote a recognized, organized population center.

Semantic Range

city, town, urban settlement, organized population center, fortified city

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root קרי (Aramaic), cognate with Hebrew קריה, itself from the root קרה (qarah), meaning 'to meet' or 'to assemble,' signifying a place where people gather. The noun form reflects the concept of a place where a community is established.

Historical & Contextual Notes

קִרְיָא appears in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel, Ezra), always with reference to an urban settlement or city. Its usage parallels the Hebrew קריה (qiryah), but is restricted to contexts where Aramaic is the narrative or official language. Unlike עִיר (ʿîr, the more common Hebrew word for 'city'), קריה/qiryâʾ often connotes an organized, perhaps fortified urban area, though distinctions are not rigid. In post-exilic contexts, as Aramaic became the lingua franca, this term designated urban centers under Persian administration. English translations generally render קִרְיָא as 'city,' but this may overlook nuances such as administrative or structural implications in imperial or local contexts. The word should not be confused with Hebrew forms like עֵיר, which have a broader usage in Hebrew literature.

Translation Consistency

primary "city" 8 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering in the P2 data (8 of 9 occurrences) and precisely matches the SILEX semantic range (city, town, urban/fortified settlement). 'City' is a simple, natural English noun that consistently conveys an inhabited, organized population center; 'organized' is adjectival and not a good standalone gloss for the place-name sense.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"organized cities" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) or קִרְיָה; (Aramaic), corresponding to קִרְיָה; {building; a city}; city.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קרה (q-r-h) — to meet, to assemble, to encounter

Root קרה to meet, to assemble, to encounter
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4745 מִקְרֶה like a chance-occurrence of
H4746 מְקָרֶה the beam-framing one
H7136 קָרָה the one bringing about
H7137 קָרֶה accidental occurrence of
H7147 קְרִי in adversarial encounter

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7149-03 קִרְיְתָ֨/א qireyeta ANcfsd/Td city the gathering-city the city 6
H7149-01 בְּ/קִרְיָ֖ה beqireyah AR/Ncfpa in the cities in organized cities in organized cities 1
H7149-02 קִרְיָ֣א qireya ANcfsa city assembly-city city 1
H7149-04 וְ/קִרְיְתָ֥/א veqireyeta AC/Ncfsd/Td and city-the the assembly-city the city 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7149-01 Ezra 4:10 בְּ/קִרְיָ֖ה beqireyah AR/Ncfpa in the cities in organized cities in organized cities
H7149-03 Ezra 4:12 קִרְיְתָ֨/א qireyeta ANcfsd/Td city the gathering-city the city
H7149-03 Ezra 4:13 קִרְיְתָ֥/א qireyeta ANcfsd/Td city the gathering-city the city
H7149-03 Ezra 4:15 קִרְיְתָ֨/א qireyeta ANcfsd/Td the city the gathering-city the city
H7149-02 Ezra 4:15 קִרְיָ֣א qireya ANcfsa city assembly-city city
H7149-03 Ezra 4:15 קִרְיְתָ֥/א qireyeta-2 ANcfsd/Td the city the gathering-city the city
H7149-03 Ezra 4:16 קִרְיְתָ֥/א qireyeta ANcfsd/Td city the gathering-city the city
H7149-03 Ezra 4:19 קִרְיְתָ֣/א qireyeta ANcfsd/Td this city the gathering-city the city
H7149-04 Ezra 4:21 וְ/קִרְיְתָ֥/א veqireyeta AC/Ncfsd/Td and city-the the assembly-city the city
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